What Plants Need

Plants like people, need food and drink for survival, growth, and reproduction. The manufacture their food by means of a process called photosynthesis, from elements they find in the air, water, and soil. Sunlight provides the energy for this activity, which is in reality a chain of chemical reactions. Plants also make their own vitamins and digestive enzymes, and the hormones that govern their desires, which are called tropisms. Working with plants gives you a great respect for them. Plants can absorb nutrients through their leaves as well. Plants reproduce in different ways, one of them by means of seeds.

Read More..

Disease Control In The Home Vegetable Garden

Most vegetables are susceptible to a number of diseases. Wilts, leaf spots, blights and fruit rots are just a few of the disease problems that plague vegetables gardens every year. Plant diseases are caused by four primary types of organismes such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and viruses. Plant diseases caused by fungi and bacteria are most common when rain showers and heavy dews are frequent and temperatures are warm. Excessive soil moisture will favor root and crown diseases such as damping-off, crown and root rots caused by fungal soil-borne pathogens. Crop rotation is very important in reducing losses to vegetable disease. Continuous plantings within the same plant family of vegetables provide opportunities for pathogen buildup.

Many plant diseases can be seed-borne. This is important to prevent a number of diseases, including halo blight, common blight, banthracnose of snap beans, and bacterial spot of tomatoes. Gardeners starting a crop from transplants should examine transplants carefully before purchasing. Select healthy transplants that appear disease and insect free. Using resistant varieties is the mos efficient way of controlling vegetable disease. Make an effort to buy resistant varieties when they are available. Plant crops such as corn and beans earlier, because their seeds germinate in cooler soils. It's also advantageous to plant these particular crops early to escape severe virus infections

Using trap crops may sometimes help manage virus diseases and aphid populations. You can use a mulch layer of straw, bark, shredded paper or plastic to prevent soil from splashing onto plants and to prevent fruit from touching the bare ground. This will help prevent rots on mature fruit such as strawberries, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers and melons. Sanitation will help reduce overwintering of disease causing organisms. After harvest, remove and destroy plant material. Plow the soil to help break down small rotts and debris that may harbor nematodes, fungi and bacteria. Healthy plants are the best control against plant diseases

Read More..

Asparagus In The Home Garden

Asparagus, one of the mst popular spring vegetables, in a hardy perennial plant that produces edible spears earlier than any other garden vegetable. Asparagus is a wholesome, nutritious food whether used fresh, frozen, or canned. It's low in calories but high in flavor. Compared to other vegetables, asparagus is a good source of vitamin A, B1, B2, riboflavin and thiamin. Asparagus gros on almost any type of well drained soil. Female asparagus plants produce berries that drop from the plant, self-seed and can create a crowded palnting. Male plants live longer, yield more, and eliminate the seedling weed problem. Asparagus grows naturally on the banks of streams and near salt marshes, where the salt content of the soil is high and the PH somewhat alkaline. Asparagus will thrive in soils having a salt content too high for many other vegetables. The care an asparagus planting receives after the harvest season is important to future yields and quality

Read More..

Pesticides And Garden

A pesticide is any product that makes a claim to kill or repel pests. Pests include plants or animals that carry disease, damage our landscapes and gardens, or becume a nuisance and detract from the quality of life. Some examples of pests include insects, rodents, slugs, birds, rabbits, weeds, or brush, mildew, molds, bacteria, and viruses. Pesticide products generally are recognized by their advertised brand names, such as ortho rose and floral dust, fertilome sevin, d-con kills rats, and hi yield diazinon. You should know that every pesticide label must list the total amount of active ingredient in the product. The pesticide label is extremely important because this is where we, the users, find specific instructions for using the product safely. The procedures are simple, and the effects of taking safety precautions pay big dividends in protecting you and your home environment. Any pesticide can pose serious risks to people, pets, or wildlife if not used properly, in a manner consistent with its label.

Read More..